Do you have an Authentic Voice Online?

Although social media platforms are extremely powerful communication devices, there are rules that, if not followed, will likely have you talking to yourself instead of a legion of raving fans. Make no mistake—the ability to create that legion of fans is real and infinitely achievable provided that you go about in the right fashion and with a specific goal in mind.

(Photo credit: The Infatuated)

Building a personal brand has different value for different people, and it can take  various forms, depending on your goals. For some, the goal is to shift their real-world reputation, influence, and skills to the online world. Others are looking to carve out an online niche, to make an impact, and become more memorable by creating an “on-air” persona that gets people’s attention.

If there is an element to personal branding that virtually all experts agree is the critical component, it  is  authenticity.

In our society, people are more skeptical than ever. They want to determine the authenticity of a person or message quickly. If their initial reaction to you is that you are full of shit, you don’t get a second chance.

If you come across as real, people often stick around to hear what’s next. Here’s the hard fact I’ve learned about establishing trust with your audience, customers, or prospects: the trust that took years to establish can vanish in seconds.

You build trust by applying layer upon layer of goodwill. If you are consistent and continue to provide your audience with useful (or entertaining) information, you continue to build your brand and trust.

If you purposefully or even accidentally violate that trust, you will likely destroy everything you have worked so hard to build.

Treat your reputation as one of your most valuable assets. Protect it as such, because if you lose it, you’ll be spending all your time trying to rebuild it rather than moving your business or career forward.

Jamie Troia is President of Greystack Digital Marketing and author of Stern Rules!